Last week marked the second anniversary of the passing of music legend Ronnie James Dio.
The Elf/Rainbow/Black Sabbath/Heaven & Hell frontman died May 16, 2010 following a lengthy battle with stomach cancer.
Rockers of all kinds took time to salute Dio, including James Durbin, currently out promoting his debut release, “Memories Of A Beautiful Disaster.”
The American Idol rocker paid tribute to Ronnie during his show in Baltimore on Thursday, performing “Rainbow In The Dark” while opening for Steel Panther.
Durbin has a special connection to Dio: he discovered heavy metal through his music.
"I just remember being a kid, driving around with my mom, and then Dio's 'Holy Diver' came on the radio and it changed everything," Durbin told Noisecreep last fall. "It was the first time I had ever heard a metal song. I loved it right away. From there I just wanted to learn as much about music as I could. Eventually I found the artists that I liked more and stuck with those. I'm talking about Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Dio, Motley Crue — you know, the classics.”
James Durbin James Durbin – Rainbow In The Dark
Original by Dio
Rams Head Live – Baltimore, MD – May 17, 2012
See also:
live @ hennemusic: James Durbin in concert from Los Angeles
VIDEO: James Durbin posts lyric video for Higher Than Heaven